3 Weaknesses Knicks Must Still Address Entering 2025

Strangely enough, the New York Knicks are currently one of the happiest organizations with one of the happiest fan bases in basketball after an offseason that saw the team upgrade to legitimate championship contention by trading for Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby to form an elite wing tandem around its already excellent group of players.

New York now has the deepest rotation in the NBA, a blossoming superstar point guard and matches up extremely well with all the league’s best teams.

They will be one of the more versatile squads next season and feel they can compete with anyone in a seven-game series, even the dominant Boston Celtics .

For the first time this century, the Knicks enter a season in which it will be an indisputable failure if they aren’t playing in June, and every fan, player and executive in the organization is thrilled about it.

However, with those expectations comes immense pressure on everyone involved, and New York still has some concerns to address heading into 2024-25.

Hopes have never been higher in the Big Apple, and rightfully so, but New York would do well to solve these issues and give itself its best chance next spring.

1 Knicks Must Acquire a Backup Center… Or 2

Mitchell Robinson is great but extremely injury-prone

New York was dealt its only tough blow of the offseason on July 1 when standout center Isaiah Hartenstein left for the Oklahoma City Thunder .

This was through no fault of their own, as cap considerations limited the Knicks to offering a 4-year, $72 million contract, while OKC was able to give the big man three years and $87M.

However, the loss still stings, and New York is now forced to turn to Mitchell Robinson as the full-time starter.

On its face, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Robinson is an excellent player in his own right with specific tools that Hartenstein doesn’t have.

He is a top-tier rim protector (as is Hartenstein), but he is an even better rebounder than the new OKC center. Robinson also can hold up in more physical one-on-one matchups down low, as seen in the first round of last year’s postseason when Joel Embiid was shut down by Robinson but dominated Hartenstein.

Robinson will be a weapon against several Eastern playoff teams, such as Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘s Milwaukee Bucks , as he can handle the aggression those players play with.

Robinson will hurt the Knicks offensively at times because of his lack of skill and jump shot, affecting their spacing negatively. Hartenstein was an elite roll man in the pick-and-roll because of silky smooth finishes and playmaking talent, while Robinson brings little in those areas.

New York must maximize his threat as a lob dunker and offensive rebounder to recoup some of that value.

The biggest risk with Robinson, however, is his injury risk. He has been oft-injured in his career, missing 40-plus games twice in six seasons and dealing with an ankle problem that cost him much of last year’s playoff run.

Any time he misses in the regular season or postseason will be an emergency for New York, as the Knicks currently don’t have a competent backup center.

Options from last year’s team include Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa , while possible trade targets or signings are Paul Reed , Walker Kessler , Nick Richards , Robert Williams III and Isaiah Jackson .

These are all solid options of various values, but New York must act fast and acquire one or two of these names before they’re gone or risk disaster.

2 What To Do with Julius Randle?

New York’s All-Star is a questionable fit with the current roster

After trading for Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets , Julius Randle ‘s future with the franchise has been thrown into question because of his fit in the new lineup.

With Bridges in the fold alongside Brunson, Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo , Josh Hart and Miles McBride , New York will likely turn to an offensive system predicated on ball and player movement rather than the matchup-attacking isolation style it’s weaponized for two years behind Brunson and Randle.

Unfortunately for Randle, he doesn’t mesh well with a play style like this, as one of his biggest weaknesses is his inability to make quick decisions and his tendency to be a ball-stopper. He needs time to work in isolation scoring opportunities, which will likely be reserved for primarily Brunson in New York’s new formula.

Another issue for Randle on the Knicks is his inconsistent outside shooting, which could cause major spacing problems for New York when he is on the floor at the same time as Robinson.

Playing with two questionable shooters could be a death sentence against an elite team like Boston, which begs the question of whether New York should trade Randle for a couple of better-fitting connective pieces.

The Knicks have three options to solve these various issues: trade Randle, play him at the five as much as possible or have Randle improve as a shooter and decision-maker.

3 Tom Thibodeau Must Alter His Minutes Strategy

It has been an overstated issue, but it must stop now

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has long been criticized for his propensity to play his best players way too many minutes, especially in the regular season and in blowouts.

Infamously, he had Derrick Rose in the game with a 12-point lead with just over a minute left of a playoff game, leading to Rose’s devastating torn ACL that derailed the rest of a promising career.

Although this criticism may be overrated, there is no doubt Thibodeau needs to take better care of his players regarding their rest.

He played Hart and McBride 45-plus minutes many times last season and pushed Brunson and Anunoby too far when he didn’t need to, which could’ve led to some of the injuries these players suffered.

Last season, it was more defensible because the Knicks were so often shorthanded and needed every win, but this year, there is no excuse.

Short of catastrophic injury, New York is the deepest team in the NBA, and Thibodeau would do well to ration his players’ minutes better throughout the campaign.

It will benefit the Knicks in the long run.

Related

How the Knicks Can Incorporate Mikal Bridges Into Lineup Next Season

After adding Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby this offseason, New York has arguably the deepest team in the league.